Elders Growing Spiritually

Growing Spiritually

Growing spiritually as an elder

As an elder, you are a spiritual leader of the congregation. Spiritual growth among the elders, both personally and as a group, will have a positive effect for the whole church. Don’t despair if you don’t feel quite up to being a spiritual leader for the church. If you feel like you have a lot to learn, be assured that this very same learning process of yours can be a blessing and an inspiration to those whom you are called to lead.

On this page, you will find many resources for deepening your own spiritual life, and the spiritual life of the elders and congregation. Click on the links below for ways to grow in your prayer life personally and at the elders’ meetings.

Books About Prayer

Use one of these books for a discipline of study, prayer and reflection for your Elders. You can read the whole book and then discuss it, or you may choose to read one chapter between each meeting and use the same book over several months.

A Kempis, Thomas, Of the Imitation of Christ, published in many versions. This 14th century writer’s words about prayer and faith ring true in our age as well.

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, published several times. A mystic from the 17th century introduces prayer in clear and loving way.

Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann, Spiritual Literacy : Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, Scribner, 1996. Using the alphabet as a device, the authors share quotations and prose about spiritual depth. A is for awareness, b is for beauty, c is for Compassion?.. You get the idea. Beautifully written and a good prayer starter.

deWaal, Esther, The Celtic Way of Prayer, Doubleday, 1997. DeWaal invites the reader into an ancient spirituality with modern ways to encounter it.

Gatti, Mark and James Bell Jr., The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Prayer, AlphaBooks, 1999. This is a complete guide, all right! It takes a complex topic down to its basic elements. Good beginner primer for those who don’t have religious language from the start.

Green, Thomas H., When the Well Runs Dry, 1979, Drinking From a Dry Well, 1991, Ave Maria Press. Each book helpful in renewal of prayer life.

Griffin, Emilie, Wilderness Time: A Guide for Spiritual Retreat, Harper San Francisco, 1997. Outlines how to take a personal prayer retreat step by step.

Guenther, Margaret, Holy Listening, Cowley Publication, 1992. This book teaches people the art of spiritual direction. Emphasis on how to offer counsel to others, yet good material for those seeking spiritual direction from others.

Janzen, Janet Lindeblad, Songs for Renewal: A Devotional Guide to the Riches of Our Best-Loved Songs a Hymns, Harper San Francisco, 1995. This volume blends the use of loved hymns with scripture readings, prayer disciplines and reflection. Would make a good choir devotional book.

Merton, Thomas, The Seven Story Mountain, 1948. This is the biography of Merton’s conversion to faith. The Sign of Jonas, 1953 continues the story through his journals. The Silent Life, 1957, explores monastic life. New Seeds of Contemplation, meditative essays good for prayers of reflection, 1961. The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton, 1968, chronicles his trip to Asia and is very helpful in understanding mystic life. He has many other books as well, all well worth the reading.

Norris, Kathleen, Dakota, 1993, The Cloister Walk, 1996, Amazing Grace, 1998. All these books offer the readers RICH prose and invitation to prayer through the lens of a spiritual pilgrim.

Nottingham, Theodore J., Written in our Hearts, Inner Life Publications, 1993. An eloquent invitation to the spiritual life written by a Disciples of Christ minister.

Nouwen, Henri, Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross, Orbis Books, 1990. This is a great introduction to the stations of the cross meditation.

Easily accessible. The Way of the Heart, Seaberry Press, 1981. Nouwen looks at three teachings from the desert mystics of the early centuries of church life and pulls out three lessons to be learned: solitude, silence and prayer. Particularly helpful for pastors and lay leaders.

Pedersen, Bjorn, Face to Face with God in Your Church: Establishing a Prayer Ministry, Augsburg Fortress, 1995. This book offers concrete steps for setting up a prayer ministry in a congregation with appendix that includes artwork and bibliography, while the body of the book offers dozens of suggestions for ways of congregational prayer life enhancement.

St. Mary’s Press, Companions on the Journey Series, 702 Terrace Heights, Winona, MN 55987. This series takes a variety of spiritual writers through time and uses their words, scriptures, journal ideas and poetry to invite the readers to prayer.

Upper Room Spiritual Classics. These small volumes, available from Upper Room Press are small handheld excerpts of the great spiritual writers, one book per writer. The first set of five was published in 1997 and included John Wesley, Thomas Kelly, Teresa of Avila, Augustine, and John Cassian. More in the works.

Walters, Kerry, A Retreat with Brother Lawrence and the Russian Pilgrim: Praying Ceaselessly, St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2000. Using the story and prayer resources of Brother Lawrence, the reader is led through a retreat like experience.

Wiederkehr, Macrina, Seasons of Your Heart, Harper SanFrancisco, 1985. A Tree Full of Angels, 1988. Through scripture, poetry and journal entries, the author, by example, seeks to convey how we can see the holy in ordinary daily life.

Wilkinson, Bruce, The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, Multnomah Publishers, 2000. And Secrets of the Vine: Breaking Through to Abundance, Multnomah Publishers, 2001. These two little books have enjoyed great popularity as prayer boosters. It could be interesting to read them as a group and discuss people’s ideas about these prayers.

Williamsen, Thomas, P., Attending Parishioners Spiritual Growth, Alban Institute, 1997. This book is a multifaceted review of how to deepen the prayer life of a congregation.

Books of Psalms translated for use in prayer

Many of the Psalms offer very helpful guidance for the life of prayer. These books have been prepared for that purpose: